well i got busy at work and missed some meetings but what may have happened is no one that could fill marks shoes. Maybe if i am still in town and things stabilize at work I will step up and plan one, maybe hire some planning help and pay for it with the proceeds. I am correct, right, from what i see the madison swap is not being planned right now? I will call a few people but with serveral key players not active or gone something will have to change.

I had full intentions of trying to put one together and I'm still interested but I have been so busy at work and with the family it's been tough. Does any one know how much the VFW was to rent and how much they needed up front. I was thinking about changing venues and holding the swap at a large conference room in a hotel on the east side of Madison. My question, has this been done before and if so did it work out ok? What would other members like to see from the next frag swap?

all you can do Is call and ask them the price.. if you cant get them try and go down the the marine and navy reserve building or the army reserve building down by MATC. you might beable to get the formation deck. ill see what I can find out about the marine reserve building by talking to a few of the people I know and see if you can get it for free and the size. you might need to look at the size but I do think its big enough.

that may work, they would have allow night before set up, would have to deal with some small amount of water spill, all seems reasonable. East side is fine, I like the west side, closer to the money and to me. LOL, but any good location is fine with me.

1. Book a venue (make sure the venue is able to deal with the water, the power, the potenital head count)2. Promote, Internet, LFS, radio3. Door Prizes4. Volunteers5. Recruit sellers6. Get volunteers to work the door and help set up7. Find a volunter to do items 1-6

Now i am sure i am missing a few. Seems our little reef mecca, madison, has lost too many members. Our hobby gets hit hard in economic down turns. Gas high, incomes are down, unemployment is high and i see lots of taking my take down treads in the buy sell forum. No matter how hard we work, this will be the first down year for the madison frag swap.

Please anyone interested in helping speak up. I work 60 hours a week and I am not dependable because work always has to come first. In fact i am at work right now.

I am sorry that I haven't been more involved in making the SWAP happen this year. I met with Mark (meisen) a few times about the SWAP while he was here intending to help keep it going this year. I have been pretty much totally overwhelmed with our house and although I still want to help, I don't see things letting up much in the next couple months.

If the Madison SWAP is actually going to happen this year someone needs to step up and make it happen. It's not the end of the world if we end up skipping a year, even though it would be a bummer.

Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel.
~Horace Walpole

Mark it on your calander folks! The MARS Frag Swap will be held January 25th 2014 at VFW Post 7591-Cottage Grove Road301 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, WI 608-221-9326 Even thou it was a slow start trying to put this together the venue has been reserved and I've already spoken to a few of the venders. Details to follow